Gimmepie's SU Guide

[gimmepie]

Gimmepie's SU Guide​

​

Yes I'm going to be running my mouth again, this time however I'm going to be talking to you about sign-up sheets, more commonly referred to simply as SUs. One of the most daunting things for new roleplayers is the thought of actually creating a character. However this task doesn't need to be as difficult as some would make out, especially as SUs now tend towards a focus on accessibility.

In the Roleplay Corner right now, there appears to be two main types of SU. One that uses a personality section and one that uses strengths and weaknesses sections instead and doesn't ask for a total overview of your characters' personalities. For the sake of making your lives easier, I'm going to look at both sections. Other than that though, this guide will only be focusing on the general parts that are common to all SUs. Onwards!


Writing a Good Sign-Up Sheet​

Character Name
Before we get as far as personality sections or strengths/weaknesses, let's take a look at the very first thing most SUs ask of you: your character's name. This is generally a fairly simple thing to handle. You simply fill this section with your character's first and last name and any middle names they might have. Some RPs might ask for a specific sort of name, however this is unusual.

There is really only one big thing you need to remember as far as your character's name goes. That is to make sure that your name fits the character. This doesn't mean it has to reflect their personality, this just means that it has to make sense. You're probably not going to see a white Irishman named Yuto Tanaka, but if he's born in Japan this is much more likely.

Age
Age is again really not a difficult section to work out, just make sure that your character's age matches up to any history they might have and fits the RP. You might find a twelve-year-old travelling alone in the wilderness in pokemon, but there are a lot of settings where it doesn't make sense to play a child.

Gender
Very straightforward really. Is your character male or female? If your character is a transsexual or cross-dresses than you might also want to make a note of that here.

Appearance
Once upon a time, a lot of writing might have been required here but these days this is rarely the case. Many RPs will accept a more limited description or even none at all if you can provide an image of your character. If you do provide an image however, I would recommend you still note any differences between the picture and your character in text below or next to your picture.

If you are not going to use a picture, or are participating in an RP that requires text you should aim to create an adequate image of your character in peoples heads. I would recommend using two short-moderate length paragraphs. In the first paragraph describe your character's physical attributes such as

• Ethnicity
• Height and Weight
• Build (Are the skinny, bulky, fat?)
• Hair and Eye Colour
• Hair style
• Facial Hair (generally not if your character is female)
• Distinguishing marks – Freckles, Scars etc

Use the second paragraph to describe their usual sort of attire, this includes not only the specific style of clothes they wear (if a specific style is applicable) but also a description of each article of clothing and perhaps variations for the weather. Things to consider:

• Shirts
• Dresses
• Skirts
• Jackets
• Shoes
• Eyewear
• Jewellery

By aiming to give a brief bit of information for each of the applicable dot points mentioned, you will quickly and easily create a detailed description of your character that will be easy for other players to imagine.

Personality
At last we have come to the infamous personality section. Many people find it difficult to adequately describe their character or are worried that writing out a detailed personality will lock their character in and prevent development. First and foremost I want to tell you that filling out a personality section DOES NOT lock you in for the entirety of the RP. This is a description of your character at the beginning of the RP. You're welcome to develop your characters however you choose and characters practically develop on their own as an RP progresses.

As for writing a good personality section, I do have some advice. Ask yourself these questions

• What is my character's defining trait? – Is it their intelligence, open-mindedness, stupidity, gluttony, friendliness? What is the central aspect of your character.
• What make your character happy? – What hobbies, people etc put a smile on your characters face?
• What does your character dislike? – I'm not talking about food, unless that's somehow relevant to your character. I mean what makes your character sad or angry?
• What is good about your character? – What are your characters positive traits? Are they fun, likeable, clever? What are they good at?
• What is bad about your character? – Nobody is perfect, especially not a character you want to be interesting. So what are your character's flaws or negative traits? Are they bad at handling stress, socially awkward, are they psychopaths? Also consider things your character is bad at.

Using those points, I recommend a personality section of three short paragraphs following a structure similar to this

• Paragraph One – A short paragraph containing a general overview of your character focusing on their most defining characteristic(s).
• Paragraph Two – A moderate length paragraph that focuses on positives. Here tell us about what is good about your character, what they are good at and what makes them happy.
• Paragraph Three – About the same length as paragraph two but focusing on the negatives. In this part tell us about your characters negative traits, what they're not good at and what makes them sad/angry.

This might seem like a lot, but it doesn't have to be a wall of text. It just has to be enough to communicate to other players and to the GM what kind of a person your character is.

Strengths/Weaknesses/Interests
Quite often now, you will see roleplays that make use of these three sections instead of a personality section. These sections are somewhat more specific and focus on core elements of your character, generally leaving any other personality aspects to be revealed through your in character posts. Strengths and Weaknesses though do not just refer to your characters personality traits but also to their skills and talents (or lack thereof). So it's usually a good idea to include a mix of the two.

When I fill in these sections, I generally go by a rule of three. I come up with three dot points for each section and then next to each dot point write a line or two to expand upon it.

History
This section is becoming less common, but I still think that it is important to look into it. This is your characters past up until the beginning of the RP. It is the important events in their lives that have shaped their personality. The requirements of this section change a lot from RP to RP but the general gist is always the same. What major events have happened in your characters lives and how did it affect them? There's no need to go into an insane amount of detail, we don't need to know about Bob's seventh birthday unless something important happened on that particular day.

Tips for GMs​

Below are some useful tips for GMs creating sign-up sheets for their roleplays.

1. Personality and Strengths/Weaknesses/Interests is essentially the same thing in most RPs (although there are exceptions where Strengths/Weaknesses refers only to physical things or skills). Unless your RP is one of these exceptions, it is probably better not to use both of these sections as it will only force RPers to repeat themselves or stress over how to make the two parts different.
2. Unless you want to radically reduce the number of people who can join your RP, make sure that you aren't setting overly long paragraph-count or word-count requirements in your SUs. Remember, roleplaying is about fun not producing literary masterpieces.
3. Make sure that your SU has a section for everything essential to your roleplay. For example, if you're players are going to be taking on the roles of pokemon, make sure you ask them what moves they possess.
4. If you want to ensure all your players have read your OP, then you might want to include a codeword or question to be submitted with SUs.
5. Include an "Other" section in your SUs for any interesting information that doesn't really have relevance anywhere else.

Character Creation Tips​

This is a list of tips taken from some of PCs best character creators (in my humble opinion). By following this advice you are far more likely to create characters that are fun for both yourself and your fellow RPers.

"You should always make a character that's at least somewhat relatable to yourself. That way, it'll be easier to understand what a character is going through, and from there, develop into being able to relate to characters that -aren't- like you." – Sir Bastian

"Always follow through with your plans for a character unless they go against the GMs wishes. Never let words like "stereotype" define what you write and always make your character the way you wanted them to be made in the first place. You might just astound people by giving a new take on a type of character that's a little more common than the norm." –Deceptio

"I make sure to research certain aspects of my character I may be unfamiliar with such as their interests and background, both to get a better sense of their "world" so I can more accurately portray it as well as to connect with the character which is especially helpful when they are much different from myself." –Geras32

"If you're making your character after others, try to quickly compare how your character will match up with the others - try to balance the gender ratio, the personalities, the combat style (where applicable), etc." –Foxrally

"I just read the OP, and think: what would be fun to write in this setting? And from there on the character almost develops automatically." –Ice

"Don't strive to be the protagonist. Your character is part of a larger story and this does not always mean that you will be the star. In fact it means that this will rarely be the case outside of story arcs where your character features prominently. An RP is not a short story. It does not revolve around an individual but rather multiple individuals in a multitude of plots. Try to make characters that are more supporter than leader once in a while, maybe even make a villain or antagonist if you feel up to it and if the RP allows it. Not only will it give you more experience by making you write as a different type of person, but your fellow RPers will respect your attitude in almost every circumstance." –Deceptio

"What helps me think up how my character acts is imagining and playing out scenarios in my head. Like, when I work or I'm walking somewhere, I just sort of spindle up fun ideas, settings and places for my character to be in, without thinking of the details of why and how they're there, and just sort of... roll with it." –Sir Bastian

"Try new things! Yes, this comes from me naming every damn past haracter of mine Ryan. Try out new sorts of characters - different physiques, genders, ages, personalities, powers (where applicable), backgrounds, etc." –Foxrally

"Don't be afraid to get creative. Following guidelines and matching other peoples work is all well and good but if you want to do something a little bit weird and different then go for it. If you're confident that your ideas can benefit your character and fit into the RP then don't be intimidated by what your own imagination can bring up. You might be surprised by how positive a reaction you receive." - Deceptio

This is meant to be an on-going list. So feel free to comment or PM me with any advice of your own and it could end up here.

 

[FenikkusuKasai]

I don't know if this is really open for discussion, but I'd like to put in my two cents about this topic. I also want to stress that this is my opinion and the experiences and reasons for said opinions. Also, my opinions come from a view-point of a creativity-based "Advanced" Role-Player.

Overall, I believe a CS (Character Sheet (since I believe the term "Sign-Up" describes something other than a description of a character and are not synonymous in my mind)) only needs the following:
Name (or what the character is called-for obvious reasons)
History (You need to know what your character has gone through in their life in order to understand their personality, mannerisms, opinions, likes/dislikes, strengths/weaknesses)
Item A (This can be Pokemon Team, Powers, Weapons, etc (anything pertinent to the RP, specifically)
Other (anything the RPer wishes to add to the CS purely out of want and not need)

I'll be honest, I didn't read the descriptions of each of the sections, but I did read the "Tips." And, instead of being redundant, I'm going to respond to them which will elaborate on my opinion of my own list above.

1. Personality and Strengths/Weaknesses shouldn't need to be their own section. The RPer should be able to allude to them in the History and the GM should be able to discern this. If the GM cannot, it should be included by the RPer either by adding to the History or making the section, but it doesn't need to be its own section.
Also, "personality" is the least accurate and constricting of sections. When writing a "Personality" (either extenstively or with a few words) your constricting your character's moods/behaviors/etc. unnecessarily. Not only that, few RPers actually follow their own Personality sections to the T. And if they do, they constantly add/subtract/edit their Personality section to match (or they should). It also stunts the ability for the character to change/grow/develop throughout the RP. Not only that, but their History should be able to tell you enough of their personality when you write it. Overall, the History tells you who the Character is and the rest is just excess.
Also, I want to elaborate on what you've described as to what should be included in a History section. I agree, only relevant, pertinent information should be included. But any writer (for RPers here for the creative writing aspect) should be able to include pretty much everything necessary in the History. It's sad that this section is becoming obsolete because it's really the only section you need in a CS.

2. There shouldn't be any expectation in terms of "length" for a CS. If the GM doesn't know who your character is or the RPer didn't learn who they were when the first post is written, the GM should confront the RPer. If the GM felt the information provided was insufficient for a character to fit into the RP, then it should be addressed.

3. But don't make too many. I believe it's best to have your own CS made by the time the OOC is created so the Players know what to include within their CS.

4. As a person with decent reading comprehension, the GM will be able to see if the RPer has read all the rules (or understands them). I abhor the idea of "passwords" and "codewords" in CS's because it demeans the RPing population as a whole. In my mind, it says "I don't trust that you read the OP of the OOC and that you read all the rules before deciding to join my RP so you have to put in a word/phrase into your CS so I can accept you." Again, a competent GM will be able to tell if a Player read all the rules/descriptions/etc. when signing up for an RP.
Furthermore, when the response is "I can't accept it until you've read the OP," it helps neither the RPer or the GM. The GM is too lazy to make sure everyone not only read but understands the OP and the RPer might not correctly understand a rule or description but doesn't ask because they assume their assumption is correct and then is chastised for getting something wrong.
99% of RPers I've had in my RPs (off-site) have missed/forgotten rules/descriptions, as any human would upon first attempting to comprehend a "new" realm of fantasy. Just saying "read the OP" or making the RPer include a word/phrase in the CS to somehow "prove" understanding is neither reliable or legitimate.
The GM should be more than willing to elaborate/explain/clarify anything about their RP.

5. I think an "Other" section should always be optional and up to the RPer's discretion. Don't force RPers to think of new, and possibly irrelevant, information for their character. All relevant and necessary information is in the History, if constructed properly.

 

[gimmepie]

I don't know if this is really open for discussion, but I'd like to put in my two cents about this topic. I also want to stress that this is my opinion and the experiences and reasons for said opinions. Also, my opinions come from a view-point of a creativity-based "Advanced" Role-Player.

Overall, I believe a CS (Character Sheet (since I believe the term "Sign-Up" describes something other than a description of a character and are not synonymous in my mind)) only needs the following:
Name (or what the character is called-for obvious reasons)
History (You need to know what your character has gone through in their life in order to understand their personality, mannerisms, opinions, likes/dislikes, strengths/weaknesses)
Item A (This can be Pokemon Team, Powers, Weapons, etc (anything pertinent to the RP, specifically)
Other (anything the RPer wishes to add to the CS purely out of want and not need)

I'll be honest, I didn't read the descriptions of each of the sections, but I did read the "Tips." And, instead of being redundant, I'm going to respond to them which will elaborate on my opinion of my own list above.

1. Personality and Strengths/Weaknesses shouldn't need to be their own section. The RPer should be able to allude to them in the History and the GM should be able to discern this. If the GM cannot, it should be included by the RPer either by adding to the History or making the section, but it doesn't need to be its own section.
Also, "personality" is the least accurate and constricting of sections. When writing a "Personality" (either extenstively or with a few words) your constricting your character's moods/behaviors/etc. unnecessarily. Not only that, few RPers actually follow their own Personality sections to the T. And if they do, they constantly add/subtract/edit their Personality section to match (or they should). It also stunts the ability for the character to change/grow/develop throughout the RP. Not only that, but their History should be able to tell you enough of their personality when you write it. Overall, the History tells you who the Character is and the rest is just excess.
Also, I want to elaborate on what you've described as to what should be included in a History section. I agree, only relevant, pertinent information should be included. But any writer (for RPers here for the creative writing aspect) should be able to include pretty much everything necessary in the History. It's sad that this section is becoming obsolete because it's really the only section you need in a CS.

2. There shouldn't be any expectation in terms of "length" for a CS. If the GM doesn't know who your character is or the RPer didn't learn who they were when the first post is written, the GM should confront the RPer. If the GM felt the information provided was insufficient for a character to fit into the RP, then it should be addressed.

3. But don't make too many. I believe it's best to have your own CS made by the time the OOC is created so the Players know what to include within their CS.

4. As a person with decent reading comprehension, the GM will be able to see if the RPer has read all the rules (or understands them). I abhor the idea of "passwords" and "codewords" in CS's because it demeans the RPing population as a whole. In my mind, it says "I don't trust that you read the OP of the OOC and that you read all the rules before deciding to join my RP so you have to put in a word/phrase into your CS so I can accept you." Again, a competent GM will be able to tell if a Player read all the rules/descriptions/etc. when signing up for an RP.
Furthermore, when the response is "I can't accept it until you've read the OP," it helps neither the RPer or the GM. The GM is too lazy to make sure everyone not only read but understands the OP and the RPer might not correctly understand a rule or description but doesn't ask because they assume their assumption is correct and then is chastised for getting something wrong.
99% of RPers I've had in my RPs (off-site) have missed/forgotten rules/descriptions, as any human would upon first attempting to comprehend a "new" realm of fantasy. Just saying "read the OP" or making the RPer include a word/phrase in the CS to somehow "prove" understanding is neither reliable or legitimate.
The GM should be more than willing to elaborate/explain/clarify anything about their RP.

5. I think an "Other" section should always be optional and up to the RPer's discretion. Don't force RPers to think of new, and possibly irrelevant, information for their character. All relevant and necessary information is in the History, if constructed properly.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Even though I post guides, I don't claim to be any sort of expert or authority on RPing. This guide isn't claiming to be the only way, rather I simply am expressing my own view points and what I have personally found effective. So I don't really mind if people want to share their own ideas.

For the sake of convenience, I'm also going to respond it list format and go point by point to respond.

Overall - Just before I get onto specific points, I want to just clarify that I don't mean to imply that all of these sections, or any of them, should be present in every SU sheet. Instead I'm just covering SU elements that commonly appear in the RPT and giving advice on how to write them. I am a firm believer that SU sheets should vary depending on what GMs are more comfortable working with and what specific RPs require.

1. Personality - Whether or not people want to use this (or the other equivalent I mentioned) as a section is totally up to their discretion. I personally like this section because it is helpful for writers who are struggling to work out how their characters might react to situations to be able to go back over their SU in order to jog their imagination. I also find that this is a good preventative method for getting an RP full of characters that think and act the same since others can see it and then work to diversify.

As for this being a restrictive or non-accurate section. There are quite a few people I know who agree with you here and who despise this section. I respectfully disagree myself since I don't look at the SU as depicting who a character will be throughout the entirety of the RP. In my personal opinion the SU is only outlining how a character begins.

2. How long or short any GM wants their SUs is, as with everything else, entirely up to them. I don't want anyone to think I'm telling them how everything should be done, I'm merely giving an effective way things can be done and giving my personally preferred variants.

3. I tend to agree with you here, overly specific SUs are liable to turn people away from an RP. That's why I used the term essential. If someone's essential SU aspects inlaced 17 different sections - chances are the RP is a tad too complicated.

4. I personally don't use this method myself either, however I think it is perfectly reasonable to include it if you so wish. The purpose is not to stigmatise people and say "I don't trust you". The purpose is to separate the minority who don't properly read OPs - and as a GM you will know that there is almost always at least one person who reads the SU and practically nothing else - from the people who do the right thing to make an RP fun for everyone.

I'm also going to say that generally speaking any GM who automatically jumps down a person's throat for making a mistake needs to take a chill pill. Everyone does make mistakes, but having a method like this can make it easier for less experienced GMs to differentiate between mistakes and people who were just too lazy to read the OP properly.

As for that last part, I 100% agree. Every GM should always be open to questions, ideas and requests from the people in their RP. The aim of an RP is for everyone to have fun and I think it's a GMs responsibility to do everything they can to make that happen.

5. Perhaps I should have clarified, but I honestly thought it was quite clear. Sorry for that. "Other" sections here are almost always optional. People aren't usually required to come up with anything extra, it's just nice to give them the option. More often that not these sections are just used to give characters musical themes or to indicate any other quirks that don't fit the others sections (for example a strange affection for pomegranates is something I remember being included in an SU for Reapers: Keepers of the Balance).

Anyway, thank you very much for sharing your views. Although we have some differing thoughts, I think it is a good thing for new RPers to be exposed to different ideas and methodologies so they can work out what works best for them. :)

 

[FenikkusuKasai]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Even though I post guides, I don't claim to be any sort of expert or authority on RPing. This guide isn't claiming to be the only way, rather I simply am expressing my own view points and what I have personally found effective. So I don't really mind if people want to share their own ideas.

For the sake of convenience, I'm also going to respond it list format and go point by point to respond.

Overall - Just before I get onto specific points, I want to just clarify that I don't mean to imply that all of these sections, or any of them, should be present in every SU sheet. Instead I'm just covering SU elements that commonly appear in the RPT and giving advice on how to write them. I am a firm believer that SU sheets should vary depending on what GMs are more comfortable working with and what specific RPs require.

1. Personality - Whether or not people want to use this (or the other equivalent I mentioned) as a section is totally up to their discretion. I personally like this section because it is helpful for writers who are struggling to work out how their characters might react to situations to be able to go back over their SU in order to jog their imagination. I also find that this is a good preventative method for getting an RP full of characters that think and act the same since others can see it and then work to diversify.

As for this being a restrictive or non-accurate section. There are quite a few people I know who agree with you here and who despise this section. I respectfully disagree myself since I don't look at the SU as depicting who a character will be throughout the entirety of the RP. In my personal opinion the SU is only outlining how a character begins.

2. How long or short any GM wants their SUs is, as with everything else, entirely up to them. I don't want anyone to think I'm telling them how everything should be done, I'm merely giving an effective way things can be done and giving my personally preferred variants.

3. I tend to agree with you here, overly specific SUs are liable to turn people away from an RP. That's why I used the term essential. If someone's essential SU aspects inlaced 17 different sections - chances are the RP is a tad too complicated.

4. I personally don't use this method myself either, however I think it is perfectly reasonable to include it if you so wish. The purpose is not to stigmatise people and say "I don't trust you". The purpose is to separate the minority who don't properly read OPs - and as a GM you will know that there is almost always at least one person who reads the SU and practically nothing else - from the people who do the right thing to make an RP fun for everyone.

I'm also going to say that generally speaking any GM who automatically jumps down a person's throat for making a mistake needs to take a chill pill. Everyone does make mistakes, but having a method like this can make it easier for less experienced GMs to differentiate between mistakes and people who were just too lazy to read the OP properly.

As for that last part, I 100% agree. Every GM should always be open to questions, ideas and requests from the people in their RP. The aim of an RP is for everyone to have fun and I think it's a GMs responsibility to do everything they can to make that happen.

5. Perhaps I should have clarified, but I honestly thought it was quite clear. Sorry for that. "Other" sections here are almost always optional. People aren't usually required to come up with anything extra, it's just nice to give them the option. More often that not these sections are just used to give characters musical themes or to indicate any other quirks that don't fit the others sections (for example a strange affection for pomegranates is something I remember being included in an SU for Reapers: Keepers of the Balance).

Anyway, thank you very much for sharing your views. Although we have some differing thoughts, I think it is a good thing for new RPers to be exposed to different ideas and methodologies so they can work out what works best for them. :)

Yeah, my post kinda turned into ranting. So, even though I sounded harsh, it wasn't at anyone in particular. I was just re-living past events that just really irked me. xP I was just too passionate to care about tone >.>

I was just under the impression that this guide was, more or less, what was expected and/or most common. I was short-sighted in just ranting about how I agreed or disagreed with your points. xP

1. I understand that side of the argument. And and I also know that some people can't connect with their characters on such a personal level just by writing a short description. I think something like "History=Knowing Personality" comes with either experience or those who play very similar characters all the time. I've just always been one to be able to become another or be able to feel another's emotions (empathy is exhausting), so not being able to know a personality from a History will throw me at first, but it's definitely something I need to understand that not everyone can do.

2. I didn't mean to imply that you suggested one or the other; it was merely my opinion on how GMs should treat the idea of "quantity=quality" (which it, in no way, does).

3. Well, long CSs from GMs will turn RPers away while long CSs from RPers can turn GMs away (from accepting). So I guess that's something of which both GMs and RPers should be aware. Like you said, it should be stated in the CS template or Rules section of the OP.

4. I honestly don't believe it's a minority that don't read/comprehend the majority of an OP. Even for my own RPs, I have to constantly be scanning it. When I join another, I read it about 3 times (varies upon length of OP) so I know I understood everything. Even then, I miss things or don't completely understand/assume incorrectly.
I can understand new GMs needing some help in getting everyone on the same page, but I think a Password/Code is too unreliable. I think the RPer should be more concerned with creating the character than worrying it's formatted exactly how the GM wants, in the specific order, with the correct wording (I'm over-exaggerating to make a point, 'cause I do that sometimes xP)
But, yeah, I've been a part of some RPs that had narcissistic GMs (telling me they can beat me in writing a fight because "they can tell I lack experience based on my current writing" and being round-about about not putting in a code in my CS even when I express that I know the code but didn't agree with putting it in the CS (while trying not to be combative), etc.) which has since turned me off from joining other RPs.
But I don't mind explaining to someone multiple times a rule or description as long as I know they are legitimately attempting to understand. If they're just trying to be combative or uncooperative or another word -_-...then yeah.
My methods are, relatively, more subtle, but that's because my RPs are either original or change enough of a canon that requires the study of new mechanics. And I know if they didn't apply/read/understand the mechanics by reading the CS and then addressing it. It's actually cause for celebration for me when an RPer makes a CS that I approve 100% on the first try. xP
And that brings up another point: RPers shouldn't be so adverse to editing their CS to meet the needs of the GM. I've been guilty of this in the past and it's definitely something everyone should open to.

5. I didn't know if you were implying anything by the mention of "Other," so I just "more clearly" defined what I think it is and how it should be used. It wasn't a slight at you or the guide.

And thank you for actually discussing (and arguing) with me. I come across very harsh through text (since tone isn't a thing), and most can't continue an argument (and believe any/all arguments are bad/negative/mean/harsh/etc.). I'm glad you didn't take it personally, because it was not intended to be taken as such.

(But an argument literally a discussion of opposing views. This does not mean aggression/violence/hate/condescension/etc. which most people have a hard time accepting/understanding.)

God, I love my back slashes -_-

 

[gimmepie]

-Snip-

No worries, it's as I said. It's good for people to know there's a multitude of different methods and perspectives out there.